Part labour of love and part trial by fire, alumnus John Wort Hannam (BA/BEd ’96) worked intensely to pull and tease words and melody together until Let It Shine On was born. The song, was debuted on Friday, Jan. 13 as the University of Lethbridge kicked off its 50th anniversary at Founders’ Day Weekend. The song is available for download and all proceeds support student scholarships.

 

We caught up with Wort Hannam for a discussion about the inspiration behind his impactful verses. Lyrically, the song is about dreams, both the kind that are put out into the light and shared with others and the kind that hibernate until the conditions are right. In the first stanza, Wort Hannam talks about his own dormant dream:

 

I had a dream deep in slumber

Tucked away in my heart

There it lay dry as tinder

Wanting for only a spark

But this hallowed ground where we are found

Set it alight, I felt it ignite

 

 

The chorus of Let It Shine On brings in a focus on light, a reflection of the U of L’s motto Fiat Lux, or let there be light. His lyrics also point to the power of illumination in bringing dreams to life:

 

I’ve seen the northern lights on the Prairies

A billion stars in the heavens above

But the brightest light is one we can’t see

It’s the light dreams are made of

Let it shine on

 

 

The second verse of the song speaks to the idea of creating community through sharing stories. A university is well suited to the task as it brings together people from all over the world, each of them with a personal and a cultural story. Wort Hannam addresses the need to listen and share in equal parts as ways to help build an inclusive community.

 

Tell me your tales, I’ll share you my stories

Let’s teach each other our songs

I’ll take the hand of all before me

And we’ll sing along

Soon we’ll discover, we need each other

Can’t do this alone, not on our own

 

 

The bridge in Let It Shine On returns to the theme of dreams of the past, specifically those that were held by some stalwart community members who believed that Lethbridge should be home to a university, despite opposition both provincially and locally. Later, the bridge section of the song pivots away from the past and looks to dreams of the future.

 

Let’s raise a glass to the dreams of the past

Plans that were laid and arguments made

Cries of dissent and times of content

Times of unrest, lines of protest

But let’s turn a new page. Let’s start a new age

With ideas of faith and ideas of reason

Voices of truth and voices of treason

Songs for peace and songs for freedom

The power of hope and the power of dreaming

And the power of love and the power of believing

Let them all be heard. Let them all be heard.

Let them all be heard. Let them all be heard.

 

 

The final chorus harkens back to the themes of light and dreams, but with a special addition.

 

I’ve seen the northern lights on the Prairies

A billion stars in the heavens above

But the brightest light is one we can’t see

It’s the light dreams are made of

It’s the light inside you and I

It’s the light between you and I

Let it shine on, let it shine on.